Alright, let’s talk about this little project I’ve been messing around with – remaking the Patek Philippe Calatrava 6119R-001. Yeah, that fancy watch. Now, I’m no expert watchmaker, but I love tinkering and figuring out how things work. So, I thought, why not give it a shot?
First off, I started by digging up all the info I could find on this watch. Turns out, the Calatrava 6119R-001 is a pretty big deal. It’s got this manual winding thing, the caliber 30-255 PS, and a power reserve that lasts for 65 hours. I found a bunch of websites and online stores talking about it, and some were selling replicas for as low as 33 bucks, I even saw something about a rose gold box paper!
Now, the real challenge was understanding the guts of this thing. I spent days just staring at pictures and diagrams of the movement. This caliber 30-255 PS is a beast. It’s got all these tiny little parts, and they all work together in perfect harmony. I even found some info on the hobnail pattern, or Clous de Paris as they call it, on the bezel. It’s all so intricate!
- I started by trying to find similar parts online. It’s tough, man. You can find some basic stuff, but the really specific pieces? Forget about it.
- Then, I tried to 3D print some of the parts. That was a whole other adventure. Let me tell you, getting the details right on something that small is a pain.
- Assembled what I could. It looked… well, it looked like a mess. But it was my mess, and I was kind of proud of it.
I mean, this thing is supposed to be a symbol of “timeless elegance and superior craftsmanship,” and here I am, butchering it in my workshop. But hey, I was learning a lot. I learned about the different types of gears, how the hands move, and what makes a watch tick, literally.
After weeks of trial and error, I finally had something that resembled a watch. It didn’t look exactly like the 6119R-001, not even close, but it worked, sort of. The hands moved, it kept time, more or less. It was a huge win for me!
So, did I successfully remake a Patek Philippe Calatrava? Not really. But did I learn a ton and have a blast doing it? Absolutely! This whole experience just made me appreciate the craftsmanship of these watches even more. It’s insane how much work goes into making one of these things. It’s been a wild ride, and I’m definitely not stopping here. Maybe I’ll try another model next, or maybe I’ll just stick to taking apart old alarm clocks. Who knows? The important thing is, I’m having fun and learning something new every day.
I documented my entire process and will continue to improve it, hopefully I can make a better one next time!
What do you think?
It’s a fun and chanlleging journey, right?
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